Fountain toothbrush



July 1o, 1928. L. C. CAVANAUGH FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH Filed Oct. 23, 1926Patented July 10, 192s.

,Tfn-mien s'TArs LEO c. CAVANAUGH, or YouNGsrowmforiIo.

. FOUNTAIN' roo'rHBnusH.

Application led October 23, 1926.A Serial No; 143,646.

This invention rela-tes to an improvement in fountain tooth brushes,

The Vobject of this invention i gums.

For thispurpose,

and gums,l which is lantiseptically vself-filled and may be easily andyquickly L;used` for:

rality of outlet'ducts communicating therel with.' Thebrush-hea-dreceivesl an enlarged bushing, whichv is secured thereto vand holds aguard'thereagain'st to prevent 'the liquid from the bristles fromflowingback- `on the handle of the brush.` A tube is detachablyconnected withthegflanged bushing and at' its opposite end itextendsinto a valve casing containing a n b all-valve. This ballvalve operatesbetween the end ofsaid tube and a bushing secured in the opposite sideof said valve casing, which latter bushing removably receives' a secondtube 'communieating with a' flexible bulb which vis adapted tocontainthe liquid used inwashing the teeth. 'i y' y I' l A handle is connectedwith the lastmentionedtube and with the bulb for holding the brush andpressingor actuating the bulb.

In using the brush, the bulb tube is Withdrawn'from the valve bushingandlowered into the antiseptic liquid vwhile the bulb is contracted and,upon release ofthe bulb, the suction created therein Adraws the liquidup through the tube into 'thebulh- .Said tube isv again yfitted intothevalve bushing andk the brush is ready for use.y Y 'By pressing thebulb,' the liquid is forced therefrom through the tubes and the openingin the brush head into the mouthandv about the teeth and gums. l

yIn the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevationof the completeltoothbrush;` t. A Y Fig. 2 is an enlargedl vertical section s to providefor the home treatment of pyorrhea, trench mouth, and other diseases ofthe teeth and a soft, cleansing, and antiseptic brush is provided forthe teeth through the control valve, partly'in side ele-Vvy vationp; .4jy d Fig. 31 is a top plan view of the brushhead;f i Fig. 4 is aAvertical section therethrough; Fig.; 5is a horizontal section through*saidV brush-head; andf I e I y l l f Fig. y6 is a''vertical sectionthroughva modified form-of the controlvalve.; v rllhe numeral 1designates the brush-head having the bristles 2 thereof arranged insections spaced apart from Aeach other, as clearly lshown in Figs.1and4. This brush'- head l is provided with a central chamber 3 havingducts. 4 leading downwardly there- Y from. rlfh'e chamber Sis ,enlargedat its rear,v

yend as ,atl5 to receive a flanged bushing'ti.`

Mounted upon they flanged bushing 6 and interposed Vbetween the'flange`of said bushing and the brush-head 1 is a guard 7 which"v depends from'the brush-head 1to vprevent any liquid from flowing back from theybrush-head along theH handle ofthe 'tooth brush. ff Y s A tubeS isslidably received` in` the bush- 1ng 6 and hasits opposite endscrewsthreaded asf at 9 to screw into a valve casing 10. The extremeendof the tube 8 is in the form of areduced nipple y11 having ynotches 12formed1 ,infthe sides thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.-;Aduct 13 extendsvthrough the valve/casing 10 in communication with' the 4 tube SfandAvthis ductfl normally` receives and encloses a ballvalve 11@ A. bushing15 1s screwed into the opposite end of the duct 13 and.l is provided Ywith,4 anj orifice therethrough. from theend thereof in position to beengaged and closed by the ball-valve'lli. Said-ball-valve'11is adaptedlto be easily and readily moved fromthenipple 11 to the Yend of thebushing 15.` u y y f A bulb tube 16 is slidablyl and removably fittedkinto thebushing 15 and atits opposite end it is. conected with aflexible .hollow bulb17, communicating with the interior of saidl bulb.Y"A handle'18 is connected with the';bulb tube' 16 and the bulb 17 forhandling and operating thebrush.r

In use, the bulb' tube 16 v's withdrawn from'the nipple .11 and dippedinto a receptacle' containing' a cleansing or antiseptic fluid, whilethe bulb 17 is contracted bythe users hand', and the bulb 17 is releasedwhile the en d of the tube 16 issubmergedfin said liquid, creating' asuctionr inthe bulb 17.

After beingfilled, the tube 16 is again inserted into the bushing 15andthe brush is ready'for use. When the bulb'l? is pressed orcontracted, the liquid forced therefrom through the tube 16 will forcethe ballvalve 14 from its seat in the end v'of thebushing 15,

Y and against the nipple 11,to allowithe liquid to flow around theball-va ve through the notches 12, and the tube8 Einto-the,chamber 3 andthrough the orifices 4, from where it is discharged into the vbristlesofthe brush or directly onto the users teeth or gums.

The guard 7 prevents any liquid .from

draining or. flowing back rfrom they bristlesl of Vthe brush along thehandle. llien the liquid hasbeenforcedout ofthe bulb 17 and the bulbreleased bythe users hand, the suc# tion created ftherein will-tendto-cdraw the ball-valve14 on to its' seat inthe end ofthe bushing 15whereA itfcloses communication with the interior of the bulb and tendstoprevent any foreign matter from passing' thereinto, thus keeping thebrushl entirely sanitary and clean. n n

The ballwalve shown in Fig. -2 4is automatic in its actuation and may beused if preferred, but instead, a hand actuated valve Vmay be used'inconnection with the invention instead of this automatic valve-which'-h'afnd valve is illustrated in F ig. 6. The caising 19 is providedwith the duct 20there-- through, communicating with the tubes 8 and 16@A plunger 21 extends upwardly through the casing 19 and is normallyheldin its upper positionv by a spring 22,-interpose'd between the lower endof the'plunger 21 and ya plug- 23. Theupper end of the plunger 21terminates in a thumb-piece 24 for forcing the plunger down against thepressure of the structed that it is entirely separate from thev handleof thebrush and this makes it possible to renew the brushheadoften'without imposing the expense. of securing lan entirely new brush.i

In fact, the bead will be relatively inexpensive and it is entirelylpossible, toV have threebrush-headsa day, which gives adry, clean brushat all times. The brush is so constructed that it isself-tilling,self-cleansing, and entirely sanitary, and is very simple inconstruction and operation.

It' desired, the bulb tube 16 may beinserted `directly into theflangedbushing '6 lby close slidable tit for the purpose of1 syringing out thebrt'ish-headbeforeor after using,` if

washing it.

v I claim Y 1. A fountain .tooth brush including a brush-headhavingvachamber therein, open- `ings extending outwardly from said chamber, abushing fitted into the chamber, Y

4a tube having one end thereof connected with said bushing, a valvecasing connected with the opposite endl ofs'aid'tube for controlling thepassage therethrough', va. second' tube having an end thereofslidablyandl re-V movably received in the opposite side of'said valveAcasing, and a'v pressure'bulb for-rel ceiving a liquidconnected with theouter end. of said last^ment-ioned tube yfor receivi-ngfluid-therethroughand forcing said casingy and tubes fluid through thevalve into the brushehead.A fi, 1 Y

2. A'fountain tooth brush includi'ng'v'a brush-head 'having the bristlesthereof spaced apart to provide'substantiall spaces at intervalsthereover, said brush-head having a chamber therein,openingsextendingout# wardly from said chamber adjacent ythe bristles,a. flanged bushing 4fitted intof-'the` chamber, a guardiinterposed'between the'A kiiange of the bushing and the head, and'depending-therefrom'in the directionof the rbristles for prevent-ingback flow ofy aliq-` uid therefrom, a tube connected `with'fthe iiangedbushing and extending outwardly therefrom, ay valve casing communicatingwith said tube, a second vtube slidably'an'd removably connected withsaid lvalve casing to vbe detached therefrom, apressure bulb connectedwith the outerend of saidflast mentioned tube, and a ihandle connectedwith said bulb, sai-d bulb and tube connected therewith being adapted toberemoved from the valve casingfor filling the bulb and re'- inserted'therein for forcing a liquid from the bulb through the valve casing andtubesv and the openings in the brushhead about' the bristles forcleansing and brushing the teeth.

having a chamber therein,openings ext-endving outwardly fromsaidfchamber, a bushing fitted into the chamber, 'a tube having an endthereof fitted into the said'bushing, a valve casing connected with theopposite end of said tube, said casing having an opening therethrough, abushingv fitted into the opposite end of said opening, a ball'valvemounted in the vopening' between theffen'ds of the tube and bushing, andliquid? supply means connected .with the' las'tementioned bushing. y

4. A tooth brush including a hollow brush head,` a tube connectedtherewith, a valve casing connected with. the tube, said casing havinganY opening therein, a source of liquid supply connected with theopening, and

3. A tooth brush including a brush-head,"l

a ball valve mounted in the opening between the ends thereof. Y

5. A tooth-brush including a brush head having discharge orificestherein, a tube 5 having an end thereot` connected with the brush (head,a valve connected with the opposite end of said tube for controlling thevpassage therethrough, a second tube having an end thereof removablyreceived in the opposite side of seid Valve,and a `container connectedWith the outer end of the last-mein tioned tube for vreceiving fluid tobe `forced through the'valve and tubes into the brush head. e

In testimony whereof Ik affix my signature.

LEO C. CAVANAUGH;

